


Free-Handouts Elite Jin

by miss_liding



Category: World Trigger
Genre: Gen, Jin's disposable income could probably feed a small family, waiting for the chapter where he puts the Border lunch ladies out of a job
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-17
Updated: 2014-11-17
Packaged: 2018-02-25 18:12:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2631389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_liding/pseuds/miss_liding
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kei likes to think of himself as a resourceful kind of guy, but really he's just being cheap.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Free-Handouts Elite Jin

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by one of Ashihara's question corner answers. Translation found [here](http://chippokenabokura.tumblr.com/post/102610821303/world-trigger-official-q-a-vol-5-8-translations), done by chippokenabokura.

Wooden planks creaked under Kei's feet as he made his way across the narrow bridge that spanned the stretch of river between the shore and the Tamakoma Branch headquarters. In front of him, the building squatted over the river like an ungainly waterfowl. He'd always wondered at the logic of housing the base in such a location, but it was said that Tamakoma Branch had a streak of eccentricity as wide as their kill count was high. It looked cool, at any rate. He wouldn't be surprised if they had made more significant decisions with less sensible reasoning.

Being in the opposite direction from his usual haunts, Kei didn't often find himself in this part of the city unless he had several ulterior motives, with at least one involving personal gain or self-preservation. This time, the first reason was because he had a family gathering at some obscure cousin's house.

(Apparently this was more important than his training to crush Jin the next time they battled. Families shared a lot of things, but the correct priorities were evidently not one of them.)

The second reason was because he was hungry, and he'd run out of spare change.

 

 

Kei pushed open the double doors and looked around the room. Only the position of the furniture had changed from the last time he dropped by, but this time there were no agents hovering around, or even any tell-tale background chatter. "Hello? Anyone here?"

A thump sounded across the room, and a dark head surfaced above the back of a couch. "Tachikawa-san!" said Usami, rubbing her eyes under askew glasses. "Welcome! What brings you here? I think I was still with Kazama Unit last time we had a proper conversation."

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Kei moved further into the room. "It's just for, um, Border stuff. The usual kind of… stuff." He was glad Usami didn't have any lie-detecting side effects, although very, very technically he was here for Border-related things. Kei could be very technical when it suited him.

"Ah, of course." Usami smoothed down her hair.

"Do you know if Jin's around?" No more faffing around, he only had a certain amount of time allotted to this detour, important as it was.

"You're not going to try kidnap the black trigger again, are you?" Usami said with a frown. "Fighting outside I don't mind, but I'm pretty fond of the interior of this place."

Kei shook his head. "I'm just here to talk this time. I'm on a schedule." There, that wasn't a lie at all. "Also, were you just napping on the job?"

Attempting a stern expression, Usami raised an eyebrow at him. Sometimes Kei could swear that everyone was adopting Jin's wonky eyebrows. "I'll have you know I take my job very seriously."

Kei just nodded.

"Jin-san did mention something this morning about an errand to do with his side effect but I didn't see him leave. You can check his room if you want, it's the first door on the left down that corridor."

"Thanks, Usami. Also, you have your laptop keys imprinted on your cheek." As Kei left the room, he could see Usami rapidly patting her face out of the corner of his eye. _Welcome to the strongest branch of Border_ , he thought.

 

 

The door to what was supposedly Jin's room was ajar, but it was dark inside. "Jin?" Kei tried anyway, knocking on the door.

How disappointing. He expected better of Jin.

He looked left and right, then pushed the door open a tad and eased himself inside, groping for the light switch.

The first thing he saw was a mostly-full box of Bonchi cracker bags. Definitely Jin's room, then, but that didn't make Jin any more available. Or less absent. That sounded better.

Kei's stomach rumbled. What a let-down, it seemed to say. Couldn't Jin use his Side Effect to be useful to Kei for once? He looked longingly at the box of Bonchi crackers again. If he refused the next time Jin offered them, that could even it out. Plus, hypothetically, he supposed, if Jin was here, the end result would be the same, probably, maybe. Technically, Jin's presence wouldn't even make a difference. Kei reached for the box.

 

 

Kei nodded at Usami as he strolled out the corridor. "See you around, Usami."

She glanced up from her laptop. "Jin-san's not there?"

"No, but thanks anyway. Bye!" Kei slipped out the double doors and only uncrossed his arms once he was off the bridge to open the packet of Bonchi crackers hidden under his jacket. Chances were, dinner was going to be average anyway. He wondered if the packet could last him the entire night.

 

~~~

 

His alarm clock rang, but Kei just ignored it and curled up in his blankets more. Somehow a whole night of interacting with his relatives was almost as tiring as a day on duty. He rolled over and faceplanted into a piece of paper.

"Wha…" Kei groped around by his head and squinted blearily at the page. 'Want some Bonchi crackers?' was scrawled over it in slightly jerky handwriting as if the writer was mid-suppressing-a-snort-of-laughter.

Then he looked up. No wonder the room seemed darker than usual. Stacks of Bonchi cracker boxes towered over him from the foot of his bed. Still nestled in his blankets, Kei scooted over to them. They couldn't all be full, could they? Then again, considering Jin, they very well could be.

And they were.

 

~~~

 

_(Earlier the previous day:_

"Ten boxes?! You're my best customer, but isn't this a bit excessive, even for you?"

"Oh, they're not all for me. I wouldn't eat that many on my own, you know."

The shopkeeper shook his head slowly. Yes, yes you would, he wanted to say. "Well, whatever you say, kid."

Jin just grinned at him and offered him a wad of notes. "My side-effect tells me so.")


End file.
